Steering wheel rod with sliding and tilting movements

ABSTRACT

A steering wheel rod support for vehicles, which is designed in such a way that it partly can be displaced a distance essentially in the longitudinal direction of the steering wheel rod (15) and partly can be tilted in a vertical plane about a transverse spindle (19), and which comprises fastening means (1), such as a stationary, stable box, by means of which the entire steering wheel rod support can be mounted in the vehicle, a bearing housing (2) for the steering wheel rod, lock plates (3) fastened in the bearing housing (2), lock means (4), which cooperates with the lock plates and is designed to lock the steering wheel rod support in an adjusted position, as well as actuation means (5) for the lock means, the lock plates (3) being able to be actuated by means of two cooperating, longitudinally directed pistons (20, 21), which are designed to be able to press the lock plates (3) against the sides (7) of the box (1) in order to obtain a friction locking between the lock plates (3) and the sides (7) of the box (1) and a locking of the steering wheel rod support and a release thereof respectively in order to obtain the desired adjustment being accomplished by means of a lever (25), which actuates the lock pistons (20, 21) as a double-armed lever arm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a steering wheel rod support forvehicles, which support is designed partly to be displaced a distance inthe axial direction of the steering wheel rod and partly to be tiltedabout a transverse spindle (axis).

Such steering wheel rod supports have to meet many differentrequirements, which individually can be solved in different ways, butthese solutions can be difficult to combine in the same steering wheelrod support. Besides the general requirement that a device of this typehas to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and mount in vehicles,the following illustrative requirements can be mentioned:

The steering wheel rod support must be stable and be able to resist allthe stresses, which may materialize, without being damaged;

No play whatsoever must be present;

Sliding and tilting movements must not seem flabby or sluggish and noother movements than the required movements must be possible;

The devices, which accomplish the sliding and tilting possibilities,must be placed in such a way, that they do not obstruct or interruptother functions in the vehicle;

The lock devices for the sliding and tilting movements must be safe andefficient in order not to allow any unintentional readjustments;

The lock devices for the sliding and tilting movements must be easilyaccessible and easy to actuate; and

The pivoting spindle for the tilting function must be locatedcomparatively close to the steering wheel in order to give the steeringwheel a pronounced angular change when a tilting takes place, etc. Manydifferent constructions of slideable and tiltable steering wheel rodsupports are known, all of which are burdened with deficiences orinconveniences in some respects.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

French patent publication number 2.360. 454 (Chrysler France) relates toa slidable and tiltable steering wheel rod support, in which the tiltingspindle is located at a comparatively large distance from the steeringwheel, which results in that the steering wheel, when a tilting is done,assumes a very small angular change, depending on the long pivotingradius between the steering wheel and the tilting spindle. Also, thelock plates, which necessarily are somewhat resilient in order toobstruct the sliding the tilting movement, form mounting and suspensionmeans for the entire steering wheel rod support in the car, which meansthat the support will be resilient and somewhat instable and can beexperienced as unstable and resilient. Also, it may be difficult tocarefully steer the sliding and tilting movements, and it is difficultand heavy to actuate the lock devices of the slidable and tiltablesteering wheel rod support and the required stable locking action isnormally not obtained, and the steering wheel rod support jointly withthe steering wheel might unintentionally readjust while driving.

German document 17 80 061, laid open to public inspection (DaimlerBenz), relates to a steering wheel rod support, which mainly has thesame inconveniences as the known construction discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem ofproducing a steering wheel rod support, which is not burdened with thedeficiences of the already known constructions and which fulfills theconsiderable requirements stated above for a steering wheel rod supporthaving a sliding and tilting function.

In accordance with the present invention the steering wheel rod supportcomprises a fastening means, such as a stationary, stable box, by meansof which the entire steering wheel rod support can be mounted in thevehicle a bearing housing for the steering wheel rod, lock platesfastened to the bearing housing, a lock device which cooperates with thelock plates and is designed to lock the steering wheel rod support in anadjusted position, as well as an actuation device for the lock device.

The bearing housing, jointly with the steering wheel rod, is, by meansof sliding grooves or the like in the fastening means and in the lockplates, mounted in such a way, in the fastening device, that partly itcan be displaced in a longitudinal direction and partly be tilted intoany adjusted longitudinal position whatsoever about a tilting link,which is located comparatively close to the steering wheel.

Through this constructive design the following advantages are obtained:

Lateral forces and torsional moments are transmitted from the bearinghousing to the fastening means or the box via the tilting link,consequently only insignificantly via the lock plates. In this way thesteering wheel rod will obtain a very good stability and freedom ofplay, when the mechanism is locked as well as when sliding and tiltingadjustments are performed and the mechanism is open;

The tilting link can be located at a high level and close to thesteering wheel, and yet no parts of the steering wheel rod support willhave to be moved upwards towards the steering wheel;

The lock devices can be located at a large distance from the tiltinglink of the bearing housing, the lock devices in this way functioningwith a large lever arm; and

The lock devices can, in a simple way, be designed as a largedouble-armed lever arm, which with very little friction actuates twolock pistons, which actuate the lock plates and fastening devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, which show two exemplifyingembodiments of the steering wheel rod support according to theinvention. The shown and described embodiments are of course notlimiting, but several variations and modifications are possible withinthe scope as defined by the attached patent claims.

In the drawings

FIG. 1 shows in fragments one embodiment of a steering wheel rod supportaccording to the invention, seen obliquely from above and in a lateralview.

FIG. 2 shows the same device, seen from above and from the front, and

FIG. 3 shows this device in a lateral view.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, seen in aperspective view, obliquely from below.

FIG. 5 shows the device in FIG. 4 seen from that end which faces thesteering wheel, and

FIG. 6 shows the same device in a lateral view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The steering wheel rod support, shown in fragments in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,generally comprises stationarily mounted or mountable fastening means 1,which is called a box, a bearing housing 2 for the steering wheel rod,elongated lock plates 3, which are fastened to bearing housing 2 andprojected from the same, lock means 4, fastened to the outer ends of thelock plates, and actuation means 5 for the lock means.

The stationary or stationarily mounted box can be designed as a turnedU-shaped bracket having webs and legs, but it is shown in FIGS. 1-3designed as two separate L-shaped angle bars, foot 6 on the bar beingdesigned to be screwed or in another way fastened to the bottom side ofsome supporting part of the vehicle, and bar 7 of the L-bar formsmounting bars for the active parts of the steering wheel bar support.For this reason each mounting bar 7 is designed with two elongated slots8 and 9, clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, which slots in this case extendat somewhat different levels in the bar and overlap each other. On theexterior side the slots are connected to V-shaped sliding grooves 10 and11 respectively, which are designed to cooperate with friction reducingsliding bodies 12.

Bearing housing 2 forms a solid plate support 13, in which a steeringwheel rod tube 14 is fastened. A steering wheel rod 15 extends throughwheel rod tube 14 and through plate support 13 and is rotatably butaxially non-movably mounted, in a way known per se, in these parts. Inits upper part wheel rod 15 is provided with splines 16 in order toattach a steering wheel and in its lower end it is provided with splines17 in order to attach a universal joint (not shown) and other meansdesigned to transmit the steering wheel movements to the steering systemof the vehicle.

On each side of plate support 13 lock plates 3 are fastened, whichproject in the longitudinal direction of the device a small distancefrom the plate support. In the case shown there are two lock blades oneach side, and in a few places spacers, such as washers, are mountedbetween the plates. Adjacent to its outer ends lock plates 3 areprovided with arched slots 18, designed to tilt the wheel rod supportabout a spindle 19, which extends through bearing housing 13 and throughone of said longitudinal slots 8 in the mounting bars 7. Plate support13, with its lock plates 3, is designed to be, by means of spindle 19,fastened, having a slight slip fit, between mounting bars 7, facilitatedby sliding bodies 12, and outer nuts.

In order to lock the mechanism there are provided two sleeve-shapedpistons 20 and 21, which are retained by a bolt 22, which extendsthrough pistons 20,21, through lock plates 3 and through mounting bars 7and are locked on the exterior side of the latter by means of slidingbodies 12 and nuts. The pistons are provided with wedge-shaped points23,24, which in the shown case are directed essentially in a verticaldirection, and the points are placed somewhat eccentrically on each sideof the center of the pistons, in order to function as working surfacesfor a flat lever, by means of which pistons 20 and 21 can be pressedapart. The pistons are freely displaceable on bolt 22 and abut, each onewith a plane surface, the respective lock plates 3.

Actuation means 5 for pistons 20 and 21 comprises an actuation lever 25,functioning as a lever arm, which in its outer end is designed tocooperate with wedge-surfaces 23, 24 of the pistons and which with itsopposite end is attached to a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric powermotor 26 having a connection 27 to a pressure medium or electriccurrent. Lever 25 is by means of motor 26 spring-loaded in a lockingdirection, the lever in an unactuated condition pressing lock pistons 20and 21 apart and in this way locking plates 3 against mounting bars 7.Motor 26 can for this purpose be designed with an interior spring, thespring power of which is sufficient to keep the steering wheel rodsupport locked. In order to disengage the mechanism the power of thespring must be overcome by being actuated by motor 26, lever 25unloading piston pair 20, 21, thus disengaging lock plates 3 frommounting bars 7 of the box. Then the steering wheel rod support can bedisplaced longitudinally in slots 8 and 9 and simultaneously be tiltedin slots 18 in blades 3 about spindle 19 through bearing housing 2.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 4-6 is only different as to detailsfrom the embodiment described above. It is clearly shown in FIG. 5, thatstationary box 1 in this embodiment mainly is turned U-shaped, web 6'being designed to be screwed or in another way fastened stationarily tothe vehicle. On the interior side of each one of sides 7' of box 1longitudinal guide rails 28 are provided in order to longitudinallyguide a central intermediary portion 29 in the device. In one place eachone of sides 7' of the box is designed with longitudinal slots 9, inwhich through lock bolt 22 for lock plates 3' is displaceable.

Central intermediary portion 29 forms a continuous body, which with itsupper part extends into bearing housing 2' and is mounted about atransverse spindle 19', above which bearing housing 2' and its lockplates 3' and consequently also the steering wheel rod and its steeringwheel can be tilted or pivoted in a vertical plane. In a lower portionintermediate portion 29 is designed with a piston guide 30, in whichlock pistons 20', 21' are guided. Pistons 20', 21' are also in thisembodiment designed with actuation edges, which make lever 25 functionas a double-armed lever arm during a pivoting while being actuated byprestressing pistons 31. Motor 26 retracts the corresponding end oflever 25 and consequently a release of pistons 20', 21' and a detachmentof lock plates 3', it being possible to displace bearing housing 2'together with the steering wheel rod and the lock plates longitudinallythrough a sliding in slot 9' as well as to pivot them in slots 18 aboutpivot spindle 19'.

About the same axis as tilting spindle 19' a merely fragmentarily shownjoint coupling of steering wheel rod 15 can be pivoted. Steering wheelrod 15 is axially fastened in bearing housing 2', but it can bedisplaced axially jointly with plate support 13, lock blades 3' andcentral intermediary portion 29.

The two sets of lock plates 3, fastened on plate support 13, abutinterior sides 7' of box 1 and are pressed against the same by means ofspring-actuated pistons 20', 21'. The distance between tilting spindle19' and the steering wheel is so small, that a substantial angularchange of the steering wheel is obtained, when there is a tilting up ordown about spindle 19', the arched plate slots 18 being used as limits.At the same time the distance between tilting spindle 19' and the archedslots 18 in the lock plates is sufficiently large to allow such a momentarm, that no particularly large forces are needed to lock lock plates 3'against sides 7' of the box in order to prevent an unintentional tiltingof the steering wheel. Consequently, in many instances it may besufficient to use just one lock plate on each side of the box. Ifrequired, the number of lock plates can of course be doubled ormultiplied and the interior side of the box be designed with acorrespondingly larger number of interaction surfaces, which can beinterleaved with the lock plates in order to increase the number offriction surfaces between the blades and the box. Plain washers aboutlock bolt 22 can, when placed between double lock plates, function asadditional friction surfaces in order to increase the tilting locking.

In order to prevent the steering wheel from suddenly falling downwards,when lever 25 is actuated and lock plates 3' are disengaged from thestationary box, there are provided two detent springs 32 on the lowerside between central intermediary portion 29 and blade support 13. Thesprings are only designed, when the lock plates are disengaged, tocounteract, but not prevent, a tilting down of the steering wheel and tofacilitate a tilting up of the steering wheel.

The two described devices function, when the steering wheel position isto be adjusted, in such a way, that lever 25 is actuated, manually or bymeans of the shown motor 26, it being possible to partly displace platesupport 13 and its lock blades 3 and 3', steering wheel rod and thesteering wheel, while steering, in the longitudinal direction of box 1by means of making lock bolt 22 and spindle 19 and lock bolt 22 andcentral intermediary portion 29 respectively slide in longitudinal slots8, 9 and 8', 9' respectively and to partly tilt them in a vertical planeby means of pivoting plate support 13 about the transverse tiltingspindle 19 and 19' respectively and pivoting plates 3 and 3' in relationto sides 7 and 7' respectively of the box and lock bolt 22, incooperation with arched slots 18 in the plates. When the desired lengthand tilting position has been reached, motor 26 will be deactivated andlever 25 will press, actuated by its prestressing springs, piston pairs20, 21 and 20', 21' outwards from each other, plates 3 then being lockedagainst sides 7 and 7' respectively of the box between pistons 20 and 21and 20' and 21' and lock bolt 22, and the steering wheel has in this wayreached a most stable position without any play.

Lock plates can of course in an alternative embodiment be placed on theexterior sides of the box, it being possible, provided box 1 is designedand the fastening in the vehicle is done in a particular way, to pivotthe steering wheel upwards as well as downwards a considerable distance.In order to lock the mechanism lever 25, with its prestressing springs,then has to be designed with a reversed function as compared to what hasbeen described above. Also, lock bolt 22 must in this way be designed intwo parts and lever 25 be designed to, when a locking is to be attained,pull the two lock bolt parts against each other and consequently lockplates 3 and 3' against box sides 7 and 7' respectively.

I claim:
 1. A steering wheel rod support for vehicles, which isdisplaceable a distance in the longitudinal direction of the steeringwheel rod (15) and tiltable about a transverse axis (19;19') and whichcomprises fastening means (1) for mounting the entire steering wheel rodsupport in the vehicle, a bearing housing (2;2') for the steering wheelrod (15), lock plates (3) fastened in the bearing housing (2;2'), lockmeans (4), which cooperate with the lock plates for locking the steeringwheel rod support in an adjusted position, actuation means (5) foractuating the lock means, two cooperating transverse pistons (20, 21)for pressing the lock plates (3) against the fastening means (1), andthe lock plates (3) being frictionally lockable against the fasteningmeans (1).
 2. The steering wheel rod support according to claim 1,wherein the lock plates (3) are fastened to the bearing housing (2;2')and the lock plates (3), adjacent to their outer ends, have arched slots(18), through which a lock bolt (22) extends, and the bearing housing(2;2'), the steering wheel rod (15) and the steering wheel beingtiltable about a tilting axis (19;19') of the bearing housing (2;2'). 3.The steering wheel rod support according to claim 1 wherein thefastening means (1) has longitudinal slots (8,9) in which the bearinghousing (2,2') can be displaced in a longitudinal direction, and whereinthe lock plates (3) and the fastening means (1), in a normalnon-actuated condition, lockingly engage each other by means of a lockbolt (22), the lock bolt (22) being guidable in grooves in the lockplates (3) and grooves in the fastening means (1), the pistons (20,21)being slidable on the lock bolt (22), which extends through the archedslots (18) of the lock plates (3).
 4. The steering wheel rod supportaccording to claim 1, wherein the lock plates (3) are placed on theinterior of the fastening means (1), and the transverse pistons (20,21)are actuatable in a direction away from each other in order to obtain alocking of the plates (3) against the sides fastening means (1) by meansof a force-actuated, longitudinal lever (25).
 5. The steering wheel rodsupport according to claim 1, wherein the lock plates (3) are placed onthe exterior of the fastening means (1), and wherein the pistons (20,21)are pressable against each other in order to obtain a locking of theplates (3) against the fastening means by means of a pulling,force-actuated lever.
 6. The steering wheel rod support according toclaim 1, further comprising two sets of a plurality of cooperating lockplates (3), washers being provided between each lock plate-pair.
 7. Thesteering wheel rod support according to claim 1, wherein the lockpistons (20, 21) have wedge-shaped points (23, 24) placed somewhateccentrically on each side of the center of the pistons, and furthercomprising a lever (25) having a flat cross section placed between thelock pistons with the lever (25) being engageable with the wedge-shapedpoints (23, 24).
 8. The steering wheel rod support according to claim 1,wherein the bearing housing (2'), with its lock plates (3), is, at itsend which faces the steering wheel, pivotally connected (19') to acentral intermediate portion (29), which is longitudinally displaceablein guide rails (28) disposed on the interior of the fastening means (1),and wherein the bearing housing (2'), with its lock plates (3), islockable against being longitudinally displaced as well as being tiltedby means of a lock bolt (22), which extends through the plates (3) andthe lock pistons (20, 21).
 9. The steering wheel rod support accordingto claim 8, further comprising, between the central intermediate portion(29) and the bearing housing (2'), at least one detent spring (32)placed on a level below the tilting spindle (19') and wherein the detentspring (32) is biased to prevent the steering wheel from falling whenthe locking between the lock plates (3) and the fastening means (1) isreleased.
 10. The steering wheel rod support according to claim 1wherein the fastening means (1) comprises a stationary, stable box withsides (7;7').